Military Warning: Mira Mesa neighborhood may be sitting on bombs

SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) — Some Mira Mesa property owners are receiving federal notices that their homes are sitting on a former defense site and that military munitions could be present.

The letters from the Army Corp of Engineers were received this past weekend highlighting a small section of Mira Mesa.

But some people living in that area say they received a similar notification more than 15 years ago.

Tracey Holcroft and her mother-in-law are among several of neighbors who received the letter warning "military munitions may be present on or near your property."

"At first, I was really concerned but [my mother-in-law] calmed me down and told me this has been around forever," said Tracey. "She's lived here for 40 years and there's never been a problem."

An attached pamphlet with the letter shows a picture of a practice bomb.

Decades ago Tracey's home was once part of the Linda Vista Valley Auxiliary Landing Field.

It earned the nickname of "Hourglass Field" because of its shape - a name that lives on in a children's park.

The Navy once used the area nearby for target practice.

Long-time residents like John Wyatt say they were notified years ago when the map showed they lived in a potentially hazardous area.

"I know when we first bought the place there were some things about the proximity to the Miramar then Naval Air Station," said John. "To build the house, they had to bulldoze it down - it was a bit of a hill. Had there been anything buried here, they would have found it then."

"Hourglass Field" closed after World War II and Miramar College built its campus on the land and continues to undergo construction.

A spokesperson says they did not receive notification in the most recent mailing from the Army.

Also included within the cautionary boundaries is Walker Elementary School and Wangenheim Middle School.

The Army says any munitions will likely remain below the ground, but there is the potential for them to surface.

For some residents, it's reminiscent of a 1984 incident in Tierrasanta where two 8-year-old boys were killed by an anti-tank round.

The Army Corps of Engineers conducted several sweeps of the area and removed munitions left over from Camp Elliott.

The Corps says in its pamphlet it does not plan to conduct sweeps in Mira Mesa.

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